


No Victory to be Found

by elenathehun



Series: The Imperfect Vessel [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Second Shinobi War, in a certain light, sarutobi hiruzen is crazy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-13 22:44:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13580496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elenathehun/pseuds/elenathehun
Summary: This is how the Second War ends: Danzo loses an eye. Danzo loses an army. Danzo loses nearly a year of time in a coma. When he finally wakes up—and what a surprise that had been for the caretaker assigned to the vegetable ward—Danzo learns Hiruzen has lost the war.





	No Victory to be Found

This is how the Second War ends: Danzo loses an eye. Danzo loses an army. Danzo loses nearly a year of time in a coma. When he finally wakes up—and what a surprise that had been for the caretaker assigned to the vegetable ward—Danzo learns Hiruzen has lost the war. 

"An armistice," he says hoarsely, rubbing at his throat. The plastered wall feels chilly against his back, but the thin robe he’s wearing is not meant for warmth. "Not a surrender?"

Torifu pours a cup of water from the pitcher provided and passes it to him. As Danzo shakily lifts the cup to his dry mouth, Torifu shrugs. "Hiruzen is hoping that a taste of peace will make the other Villages less likely to restart the war. Homura is just hoping we have enough time to rebuild our forces. The civilian children in the pilot program worked well enough, so he's expanding the program and lowering the requirements for entry."

“You can’t tell me Ko—" Danzo snaps, or at least he tries to. A deep racking cough starts, and doesn't end until he gulps more water from the cup, drinking it down. Torifu casually takes the cup from his grasp and refills it again before passing it back. He's polite enough to avoid commenting on Danzo's trembling hands.

"Koharu has other worries," he replies. "Lady Mito had a stroke six months ago and the seal did not behave as expected. Right now Koharu is trying to search for an appropriate sacrifice for a transfer. You're probably going to be assigned to that task as well, at least once Hiruzen actually works his way through his papers and realizes you're conscious again."

Danzo hisses in response to that. "Whirlpool is gone, and if there are any survivors, they are outside our grasp."

"There were no escapes, none at all?" Torifu says with raised brows. "Was the siege that effective?"

"I think Lord Uzumaki's insistence that every man, woman, and child of the blood fight to the death was more effective," Danzo says flatly. "The guards charged with executing deserters were quite capable as well."

"Ah, the good old-fashioned Uzumaki intransigence," Torifu says with a nostalgic smile. Not for the first time, Danzo wonders if he is the only sane person in the world. He, at least, does not miss handling the erratic, uncontrollable Uzumaki menace. "Will we ever see it's like again?"

"Just walk towards Block 5, I guarantee you will find a nearly perfect match somewhere among the Uchiha." 

"The Uchiha have never been bold enough to chain Death," Torifu rebukes quietly, before breathing out an almost imperceptible sigh and standing up. Danzo doesn’t bother to answer - he’s focusing on untangling his body from the coarse sheets of the hospital bed.

"It's a shame that both of Masuyo's children are dead," Danzo says as he swings his legs to the floor and tentatively checks them. They look emaciated and atrophied, but he can probably still walk. "Either of them would have been the best possible match, given their relation to Mito and their excellent chakra control. Large reserves aren't necessary, given the way the seal is written, but control of the chakra itself is absolutely essential."

"I don't think Koharu has thought about that," Torifu says thoughtfully, before stepping over and putting Danzo's arm around his hefty shoulder. "But then the trick is actually getting Tsunade to return voluntarily."

Danzo blinks. "I'm sorry, is Tsunade still alive? I would have thought that Hiruzen would have assigned her here to at least triage this ward and decide who is even revivable. It's a waste of money to keep everyone here indefinitely."

"Says a man who just spent the ten months classified as a non-revivable casualty," Torifu jibes. It’s not funny to Danzo. The idea that he’s spent months trapped within his body, left to decay among the rest of these husks is _intolerable_. "But no, she's still alive. She just left the village after the war ended—some sort of tiff with Hiruzen about policy."

Danzo looks up at Torifu's calm, placid face. "I'm going to need to you explain this again, with more detail." he says, as calmly as he could. "Because it sounds to me like an S-class nin with control over one of the three Sage Summons has deserted the village."

"Well, when you put it that way..."

And that's the point when Danzo learns about everything else Hiruzen has lost since the end of the war.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick scene set before the main events of the main story, featuring two characters who will play quite a role in the future.


End file.
